Events

Professor Mark Hopkinson "Epitaxial Semiconductor Nanostructures"

Date: Monday 20 February 2012 17:30 - 18:30

Location: SEMS Seminar Room

Professor Mark Hopkinson of University of Sheffield, Electronic & Electrical Engineering Dept

Epitaxial Semiconductor Nanostructures

The lecture will discuss the synthesis, structure and properties of semiconducting nanostructures, principally quantum dots and quantum wires, which are produced by molecular beam epitaxial growth methods. These nanoscale crystalline structures possess unique quantised electronic properties which can overcome some of the limitations of present-day electronic and optoelectronic devices. The talk will describe work at Sheffield performed using gallium arsenide based semiconductors, including investigations of quantum dot structural properties, electronic and optical properties. These studies have led to successful device applications predominantly in the field of lasers. The lecture will conclude with a brief description of the proposal for Queen Mary University which is to begin a program of work on related structures within the Nitride semiconductor materials system. These materials, which include gallium nitride, are receiving intense academic and corporate research in view of their key applications in areas such as solid state lighting, high power electronics and photovoltaics. The talk will describe how a program which is focussed on the study of nanostructured nitride semiconductors has the potential to resolve some of the major remaining issues with this material system.